


Love Line (평행선)

by easterngods



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Domestic Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, because businessman!yunho and barista!changmin is heavily underrated in this fandom, im honestly calling this loveline because of domestic homin in the mv
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-04-30 15:32:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14500083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/easterngods/pseuds/easterngods
Summary: Changmin only works at the rarely busy coffee shop so that he can rent the place above it for free. Yunho hates living in a penthouse way too big for one, always reminding him how lonely his life could be.(aka Changmin's a broke college student and when the coffee shop closes down, he needs a place to live and businessman Yunho has a spare room.)





	1. double espresso

**Author's Note:**

> a product of sleepless nights so sorry if there are grammar/punctuation mistakes :)

A chime from the front door steals his attention from the bag of aromatic espresso beans in his hands. It signaled a customer to the quaint coffee shop, which was a rarity during the last few minutes before closing. Changmin folds the bag twice and rubs his hands on his cream apron more out of habit than for cleanliness. 

Clearing his throat, he turns around to meet what would be his last customer of the day. He expects the usual disgruntled night shift security guard from the entertainment agency just a few blocks down the road. 

He keeps his head down; busying himself with the cash register that he just knew would be stuck in the process of transaction. “Ahjussi, I honestly think you should cut down on the caffeine and actually sleep before your shift,” he mumbles, still fiddling with the rusting metal drawer of the register.

Instead of a deep groan he was used to, he got an unfamiliar chuckle, “I’m pretty sure I’m more of a hyung than an ahjussi.”

He freezes for a second before recovering himself to meet the eyes of the stranger. Rather than a stout middle-aged man with a rumpled white uniform and a crooked blue tie, he meets an impeccably dressed guy that almost met him at eye-level. Those same eyes in sync with the dopey grin the man was sporting on his face. 

“I’m- oh my god, I’m so sorry, sir,” Changmin sputters lowering his head again to cover the blush he knew was creeping up from his neck to his cheeks. 

The man chuckles again, “No need for apologies, can’t deny I’m getting older, but I don’t think we’re that far apart in age-,” he pauses to bend down to get a look at the name tag dangling on Changmin’s apron, “-Changmin-ssi.”

Changmin scratches his neck and gave a small laugh in return. “I don’t think so either, sir.”

“Yunho is fine,” the man introduces himself still with the grin in place from the start.

Changmin returns the smile. “Ah,Yunho-ssi then, what can I get you tonight?”

“So it’s alright for me to get caffeine, no questions asked, but a certain ahjussi shouldn’t? I feel some unfair customer service here,” Yunho jokes as his eye scans the chalkboard menu above Changmin’s head.

Changmin chuckles once again, he shook his head and picked up a discarded bar towel to his left. He wipes the counter to indicate to Yunho to take his time with his selection. 

“Well if you’re not an ahjussi, I’m positive that your body can still handle the caffeine. Unless you want to retract your statement about being young, Yunho-ssi.”

Yunho finishes his scan of the board as his eyes lands on Changmin’s, “You got me there.”

“As fashionable as you look, I don’t see many people around my age with a suit like yours at a quarter before midnight,” Changmin points out, before throwing the bar towel to the bucket underneath the counter.

At that comment, Yunho slightly jumps and breaks their eye contact to look at the gold watch around his left wrist. “I hate to not be able to defend my fashion choices, but I’m running a bit late. What would be the quickest drink you can whip up, Changminnie?”

Changmin didn’t have the chance to react to the sudden nickname, he swiftly picked up small cup the size of his palm and placed it under the espresso machine on his right. Once the cup was halfway full, the machine stops and he places a small lid. 

“Here a double espresso, I’m guessing you’ll need it tonight,” he hands it to Yunho while simultaneously grabbing a hold of the money in exchange.

By the time he counts Yunho’s change, the man was already on his phone and halfway towards the door.

Yunho wedges the phone between his ear and right shoulder as he freed his hand to offer the barista a wave, “Keep the change, Changminnie, “ he calls out while still waving and keeping his eyes on Changmin. He walks backwards until he sensed the door, and pushes it open with his back.

Changmin feels the late evening breeze enter the heated store as he reciprocated the wave.

When the door finally closed and the suited man gone, Changmin walks over to lock the store. He turns the signage to ‘CLOSE’ and called it a day. Not even the aroma of the coffee could keep his shoulders from sagging due to exhaustion.

Loosening the knot of his apron, he took a quick scan across the store and deemed it clean enough. He walks towards the door behind the counter, opening it as well as turning off the lights to the store. 

Changmin walks up the flight of stairs to his room; he was reminded of the quirky suited man, making him slightly chuckle as he trudged up. Once in his room, he plops down on his bed and succumbs to sleep.


	2. vanilla latte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He shivers once, but the lingering flavor of vanilla reminds him of the warm drink from a couple of minutes ago that resembled the warm hand that was clasped in his own. It sends an all-around warmth through his system.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I unconsciously made this a slow-burn story?

The blaring of his alarm wakes Changmin out of his slumber. Groaning, he reaches over to his nightstand turn off the damn noise. His hand, unfortunately, cannot seem to find his phone, moreover the nightstand itself. Looking up, he sees that due to exhaustion, he barely made it to the middle of the bed last night, his gangly limbs hanging off the bed.

Changmin sits up, faces the nightstand and locates his phone. Alarm silenced, he was met with the muffled noise of the outside world. He hears the usual hustle and bustle of the streets below him. He walks over the window to pull apart the curtains allowing in the natural light. He stretches his stiff body and yawns one last time as he stares out to his view of the city. Just a several blocks from his place, he sees the obnoxious building of the nation’s premier talent agency.

Scratching his side, he turns away from the window and starts to pack his stuff for class. To confirm that he still has ample time until his class starts, he glances over his phone. Changmin notices a notification of a text from his friend. He pays it no mind and continues his morning routine.

 

 

\---

 

 

“Okay, so you better have a reasonable explanation for ignoring my text, Shim,” an accusatory voice welcomes him just as he enters the lecture hall.

Changmin rolls his eyes. There were barely anyone in class yet, he should’ve gotten more sleep. He walks over to their usual spot.

“Yah! Stop ignoring me, Min,” he earns a slap on his right arm.

“Kyu, all you texted me was an emoji of books and a question mark at six in the morning,” he replies deadpanned.

Kyuhyun glares at him, “I was asking if you were going to class. I know you did closing last night, I was offering to take notes on your behalf.” He mumbles on further about having an ungrateful friend and how this would be the last time he would offer.

Changmin gives him a genuine smile and slings an arm around his sulking friend.

“Sorry and thanks, Kyu. I’m fine don’t worry. I don’t want to depend on you too much.”

Kyuhyun sighs, his glare softening.

“We’ve been over this, Min. That’s what a friend is, someone you can depend,” Kyuhyun turns to him, “You’ve been overworking yourself with that job and school, you’re going to crash.” Concern fills his friend’s eyes, replacing the glare from earlier by the time he finishes.

“It’s what growing up means. It’s what being independent means,” Changmin replies solemnly. He drops his smile as well as his eyes. Kyuhyun notices the heavy eyes that his friend has frequently tried to hide from anyone else. He notices it nonetheless, all the stress his friend has to bear.

More of their classmates start to filter in, but there was still a half an hour left before class starts.

“Why don’t you just move back? Or at least let me help you with rent?” Kyuhyun offers.

Changmin sighs and closes his eyes before facing his concerned friend.

“Kyu, we’ve been over this. I can’t go back. I can’t do it, I can’t give in to their expectation. I’ve done everything they’ve told me, can’t I have this one aspect of my life just for me alone,” he pauses his thought, he senses his friend’s desire to interrupt, “-and no, this isn’t your fight, Kyu. I don’t want your family getting involved and ruining the relationship between our families.”

Kyuhyun sinks down in his seat, “I just wanna help you.”

Changmin ruffles his hair, “You are helping me enough, by staying by my side. Besides, if this –due to some miracle – blows over, I wouldn’t mind having those boring ass dinner parties with our families again.”

 This seems to lift his friend’s spirit a bit. The warning bell rings and they drop the conversation, Changmin knows it’s not the end of it from Kyuhyun, but the distraction of school was a needed one.

 

 

\---

 

 

“Isa-nim, Sajang-nim is on line 2,” a feminine voice breaks Yunho out of his reverie. He hasn’t even noticed when his secretary had slipped in his office.

He nods in acknowledgement, earning him a bow from his petite secretary before leaving him alone. He yawns and rubs his eyes of sleep. He searches for the coffee the woman had gotten him probably two hours ago. Finding it beside the landline, he picks it up along with the receiver.

“Boa-nim, how can I help you this fine morning,” he greets as he brings the cup to his mouth. When no liquid comes out, he tosses the cup haphazardly to the garbage all the way across the room.

“Seeing as it’s half past one in the afternoon, I’d like to ask you the same thing, Yun-dol,” the person teases back.

Yunho groans out of tiredness, “It’s insanity Boa, honestly. How can we debut an indefinite group within two months?”

“Yun, we have a definite group, you said so yourself just a month ago?”

“That’s when there was yet a debut date to stress about. These are kids, Boa. They need more time, more time to be refined. I refuse to ruin their potential with a rushed debut,” Yunho pleads with his boss on the phone; trying to put in all the emotion he has left to convince her to reconsider.

“Yunho. I trust you more than anyone when it comes to this, but with Donghae’s and Hyukjae’s decision to enlist together by the end of the year, we have no choice. We need to secure our financial situation, we would be losing a chunk of our revenue,” Boa regretfully counteracts.

Yunho sighs, knowing he’s defeated.

“I don’t want to mess this up as much as you, Yun-dol. So tell me what resources you need to make this as successful as possible?”

Yunho scans his office. He spots the coffee cup that he missed to get in the garbage.

“I’m gonna need more coffee.”

 

 

\---

 

 

“Are you sure you can’t come out with us today?” Kyuhyun asks him for the umpteenth time on the phone.

Changmin was so close of hanging up on his best friend, preferring to take the wrath the next day. He kicks a small pebble up the paved sidewalk on his way home.

“I have work. I’m the only other employee, I can’t just leave Kibum to work the whole day.”

Kyuhyun whines into the phone. Changmin hears rustling on the end, the phone being passed to someone else.

“Minho-yah, tell your hyung I still can’t go and no amount of your aegyo can make me,” Changmin speaks before the person possessing the phone could.

There’s a slap and yelp in response, “All you had to do was act cute and you couldn’t even do that.”

“Stop bullying the maknae.”

“I’m not-, ugh we never see you anymore, Chwang. If you just move back-,” Kyu starts.

“And I’m telling you no. I’m hanging up now, I’ll see you when I see you,” Changmin ends the call before Kyuhyun could respond. Stuffing it in his pocket, he continues to walk to his place.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to have that carefree life again with no responsibilities, he wouldn’t sell his last bit of freedom just to have everything at his disposal. He adores his friends, he really does, but Changmin is making a point, and sometimes proving yourself right means making sacrifices.

He hasn’t realized that his head was down until he reaches the front door of the coffee shop.

Upon entering, he meets a sweeping Kibum in an almost empty room.

“Another busy day?” Changmin greets the shorter man.

Kibum grins at him, “Don’t you know it, rush hour was insane, I served more than four people this time.”

Changmin chuckles. He sets his bag to the side and reaches for the apron hanging on the hook. He gestures Kibum to hand him the broom.

“Hopefully I get your luck tonight, I’m drowning in schoolwork. It would be nice to close early.”

Kibum pats him on the back. He unties his apron and walks over to the back door, “For the sake of your well-being, I really hope you get to close early too.”

With no other word, Kibum leaves him to the quiet lobby. He feels his façade dissipate with Kibum, he allows his shoulder to droop, his eyes to submit to its weight. He was so tired, but he has a long way to go. The only other noise in the room was the ticking of the clock on his left.

 

_3:37_

 

Eight and a half hours left before he could reunite with his bed.

 

 

\---

 

 

Yunho needed to get out. He needs a new environment. The stress was getting to him and being cramped up in his 20th floor office or watching the barely even teen boys dance their heart away was not helping.

It was 11 at night; the boys were still in the studio, trying to prove their worth when Yunho passes them on the way to out the building. They all notice him and politely bows out of reflex. Yunho barely notices them and raises a quick hand to show that he noticed them. He doesn’t turn towards them though, he continues his path to leave the high-rise.

Once out the building, he encounters the similar evening breeze from last night. He takes in a huge amount of air and feels his body become slightly lighter. Loosening his tie and unbuttoning his suit jacket, he meanders down the road. He lets his feet carry him anywhere, anywhere away from the building.

His feet carry him to the coffee shop from last night. He found the location odd then, and he finds it odd now.  It was situated not far from his agency, but it was pretty isolated and hidden from busier part of the city. He does know however that this was a favourite date spot of many of his trainees, so it can’t be all that bad.

Plus, the double espresso he got wasn’t as disgusting as other coffee-related beverages he’s had in the past.

He opens the door, the chime catching the same barista off-guard once again. The coffee shop was empty again, only occupied by the tall man behind the counter.

Changmin, Yunho remembers, had his face on his hand, supporting it by his elbow as he reads a huge book. Due to his entrance, Changmin drops his chin on the book with a soft thud.

“Oh, sorry for interrupting your reading,” Yunho immediately apologizes as Changmin soothes his chin.

Changmin stops rubbing his chin and flushes, “No don’t be, sir. I shouldn’t be reading on the job.”

“I’ve told you, just Yunho is fine, Changminnie. Seeing as there’s no one here, what else would you be doing than reading?”

Changmin rubs his neck, “More like studying, is there anything you’d like today in particular, Yunho-ssi?”

“Ah, a university student. So I am a hyung then, call me hyung, Changmin-ssi,” Yunho grins cheekily.

Changmin laughs at him softly, “Do you have some hyung-complex, hyung?”

For some odd reason, as Changmin utters that word out, he feels a huge weight leave his shoulders.

“No hyung-complex, but I like collecting adorable dongsaengs,” Yunho winks as he sits himself on a stool in front of the blushing boy.

“Yah! Do you want anything or not?” Changmin, slightly stuttering asks Yunho who stares at him with a huge smile.

Yunho chuckles at the reddening barista, “I wouldn’t really know, I don’t drink coffee much, but I really do need good pick-me-up. What would you recommend to a caffeine newbie like me?”

Changmin stares at the suited man, confused at a business-looking man that doesn’t worship coffee.

“Then how do you keep yourself up usually, sans coffee?”

“My passion.”

Changmin rolls his eyes. He starts to gather the materials as he tries to think of a suitable drink for the still staring man.

“What are you making me, Changminnie?” Yunho inquires when Changmin doesn’t reply.

Changmin carries on in silence, his skilled hands pouring and swirling various ingredients. Finally satisfied, he places his concoction in front of the impatient older man.

Yunho looks down at the cup, seeing a flower artfully crafted on top. “It’s almost too pretty to drink.”

Changmin huffs, “It’s an insult to my craft when my art isn’t consumed.”

Yunho raises his hands in defense, “I’m appreciating your skill visually.” He brings the cup to his mouth and prepares himself for the strong bitterness of coffee that he distastes.  Instead, he was pleasantly surprised with the sweet taste of vanilla, balanced out with the familiar bitterness of coffee.

Licking his lips, he hums in pleasure, “This is delightful.”

“Of course the weird coffee-hating businessman would be a sweet tooth. It’s a vanilla latte.”

Yunho frowns, “I’m not a businessman per se.”

Changmin leans over the counter, he rests his chin on his hand, “Your attire says a whole different story.” He stares at the man, mere centimeters in between them.

“I’m a creative director at SM, not completely business, I’m in charge of the creative aspect of the artists. Their music, concept, the whole shebang,” Yunho sips on his drink as he nonchalantly explains to Changmin.

“Ah, that agency down the road? Hyung has such a cool job,” Changmin says with his mouth agape.

Yunho snorts, he flicks Changmin’s forehead.

“It’s not that cool, hyung himself is much cooler.”

It was Changmin’s turn to snort, he backs away from Yunho to stand up straighter, “Cool people don’t deem themselves cool, they have to be called it by someone else.”

“How about you, Changminnie? What are you studying?” Yunho questions.

Changmin grabs the textbook he set aside and pushes it towards Yunho.

“I was studying for my philosophy class.”

Yunho nods, his free hand trails the cover of the book. “But what do you want to be? A professor, a writer?”

Changmin shrugs, “I’m undecided right now, just going with the flow I guess?”

“As your newfound hyung, I have a piece of advice.”

Raising his eyebrows, Changmin looks at him quizzically “What would that be?”

“Take your time. Choose wisely.”

Changmin smiles at the older man’s words, “Noted.”

With his last gulp, Yunho continues to talk, “Is there anything you want right now though? Doesn’t have to be a career or a major. It’s good to have a goal or dream, how little it may be.”

“To be free, to be myself,” Changmin wistfully replies.

Yunho places his cup on the saucer and catches the eyes of the taller man in understand, “Oh don’t we all.”

They hold each other’s eyes  for another moment before Changmin clears his throat and glances at the clock on Yunho’s left.

 

_11:43_

 

“You have nowhere to be this time, hyung?”

Yunho follows Changmin’s eyes on the clock, reaches inside his suit pocket. He realizes due to his desperation to leave the building, he forgot to bring his phone along with him.

He has never felt liberated. No constant buzzing on his rib. He had almost an hour of peaceful bliss, just a casual conversation with someone that was willing to listen.

“I’d like to say no, but that would be a lie,” Yunho pushes the stool outwards to stand up.

He pulls out some rumpled bills and various change and places it on the counter. He also takes Changmin’s hand in a shake. He feels a warm and soft sensation against his callous hands.

“It was a pleasure, dongsaeng. Thanks for the drink, hopefully your pretty little head has more drinks for me to try out in the future,” Yunho lets go of his hand and makes his way to the door, failing to notice the rising blush he caused on the boy.

“That was too much sugar I think, you’re too hyper now.”

Yunho takes one last look at the boy, he sticks out his tongue, “There is no such thing as ‘too much sugar’, Changminnie.” He waves goodbye and heads out to the now even cooler night.

He shivers once, but the lingering flavor of vanilla reminds him of the warm drink from a couple of minutes ago that resembled the warm hand that was clasped in his own. It sends an all-around warmth through his system.

He walks towards the building, dreading it less now.

 

 

\---

 

 

His presence in the usually overlooked coffee shop becomes frequent. He grows closer to the younger boy, keeping him company for the last hour of the shop. It has become his routine to make the little trip to this shop, using ‘a coffee break’ as an excuse, despite still not being a fan of the bitter drink. He’s close to changing his mind soon, with all the drinks that Changmin makes to sway him.

 His secretary still gets him coffee every morning, and it becomes a two-step forwards and one step back scenario as his mouth rejects the drink. Being spoiled by Changmin just the night before with another one of his sweet take on the usually bitter drink has ruined any other drinks for him.

“Don’t blame Starbucks just because you’re a future-diabetic,” Changmin has become snarkier as they grew closer.

Yunho adores him more and more.

“I never said I’m blaming Starbucks. More like, I’m blaming you,”

Changmin scoffs at him, “I’m only doing my job, satisfying my customer. Sometimes with great powers comes with great responsibility.”

“So you are taking responsibility for me hating every other drink, but yours?”

“I never said that, I’m just saying I’m good at my job, not my fault you’ve grown attached to me.”

Yunho smiles at the younger man as he continues to rant about clingy hyungs who don’t appreciate his talents. Yunho can’t deny that he’s grown attached to the mouthy barista. More than he would admit.

“How’s that group you’re debuting going, you have a month to go, right?” Changmin asks him.

Yunho was sitting on one of the round tables nearest the door, he watches as Changmin mops the floor, his head completely resting on the table alone.

“It’s going, I guess. There’s still so much to consider, it’s happening all too fast.”

Changmin sighs and rests his mop on the wall beside the table of the moping suited man. He makes his way over and sits opposite Yunho.

Yunho sensing the proximity of the younger man turns his head over, lifting it up. Changmin stops him with his long fingers landing to Yunho’s temple, spreading it on his scalp.

Yunho closes his eyes in bliss.

“A great man once told me, take your time.”

“It doesn’t apply to a strict deadline, Min-ah.”

“Time is a construct, it’s your choice whether or not you conform yourself to it or you conform it to your advantage,” Changmin massages Yunho’s head further.

Yunho groans, “Let me guess you finally finished your philosophy paper?”

With no reply, Changmin stands and frees Yunho’s head from his hold. Yunho whines at the lost of contact and lifts his head to see where the boy went.

He spots Changmin by the machine behind the counter, whipping up another one of his drinks. Once done, Changmin goes back to the sulking man.

Not needing any prodding, Yunho takes the drink without question and tastes it.

“It doesn’t taste at all like coffee?”

“It shouldn’t ‘cause it isn’t, it’s hot chocolate.”

Yunho stops drinking to look at Changmin who picks up the mop again.

“I love your drinks, but I need to finish something later, I can’t fall asleep.”

Changmin doesn’t stop his mopping nor does he looks at Yunho, “That something can probably be done not just tonight, but tomorrow. Rest hyung, don’t want you half-assing those boys’ debut.”

Behind all the snark, Yunho senses the hidden care between the words.

He picks up the mug and happily finishes the drink as he watches the barista’s movements again.

Bidding Changmin goodbye that night, rather than making his way up the building again, he walks over to the agency’s parking lot to his car.

He drives away longing for his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While writing this chapter, there was a major plot line that I altered and scene that I omitted. I'm debating on whether or not I should add a couple of tags, but I don't want to spoil revelations for the next chapter.
> 
> I honestly promise next chapter they're moving in together, I just had too much fun writing about Yunho's distastes towards coffee lol
> 
> Hope you guys like it! ♡


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